


A Farmer's Guide

by BluCup



Category: Harvest Moon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-25
Updated: 2016-01-18
Packaged: 2018-05-09 04:54:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5526104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BluCup/pseuds/BluCup
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>’A Farmer’s Guide’ is lightly based on the original 1996 Harvest Moon game for the Super Nintendo. Set in a fictional New Hampshire town in the mid-1990s, it follows a young farmer named Arthur “Art” Cromwell, who inherits his grandfather’s now rundown farm after it was stripped away from the previous owner - his own uncle - after he was caught trying to sell it to a land development firm wanting to build a large closed housing community complete with a strip mall and other businesses that would strip the fertile land of its natural beauty.<br/>His ailing grandfather grants Arthur possession of the farm and tasks him with turning it around for the better in the time span of two and a half years.</p><p>Arthur moves into the small farmhouse in early April of 1994, and soon finds himself intertwined with the local scene and lives of the quirky bunch of characters that inhabit small coastal town of Seasons, which lies at the bottom of the hill just below the Cromwell Farmland.</p><p>Does he have what it takes to revive the farm in the two years he has been given? And why had no one told him just how bizarre the area could be?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A New Beginning [April 3rd, 1994]

_"...and so I pass on the deed to my farm and its five acres of land to you, Arthur. I want to see my, no - your - land flourish again before I pass on. I want to see calves happily frolicking in the fields and chickens and ducks mingling together in the barnyard. I want to see large gardens and corn rows stretching from one side of the land to the other.  
I trust you can do this, you have the gleam in your eyes, my boy: The Can-Do attitude that seems to have been missing from my two boys. You were made for this, just like I was and my grandfather before me, and so on. I made a big mistake in letting my son take over the farm for those five years; Stupid boy almost sold off the land and with it my bloodline's legacy. I have a theory that the ability to farm skips generations in this family, and so knowing that I hope that you don't mind my using you as a guinea pig._

_I'll stop in at the old place as soon as you get settled in and offer you some tips. Until then, take care, and good luck.  
\- Grampa Cromwell"_

Post after post passed by in a blur as Arthur drove down the empty road in his 1987 Honda station wagon, surrounded on each side by vast farmlands, rolling fields and forests. He was driving at a steady 65mph but would occasionally step on the gas just a bit for fun. There were no other cars around so this proved to be a fun little diversion from the tedium that has been the six hour drive here from Michigan and had been the only excitement he has had since that stop at the gas station two hours ago where he witnessed a little girl beat the stuffing out of her brother over a chocolate bar.  
Eventually the green pastures on his right gave way to an expansive water system; A huge lake stretched out as far as one could see and just barely off in the distance was more land. This was likely private property as he eventually hit land once more and came across what he thought looked like a miniature mansion. It was a pretty house he thought as he peered over his shoulder at it as he passed by.  
No sooner did his gaze return to the road was he forced to slam on the breaks. He breathed a heavy sigh of relief as he rested his head on the steering wheel. What caused him to suddenly slam on the breaks like that? A family of ducks were making a journey across the heating pavement. A single white duck followed by 4..5..7..10 ducklings in all marched across the road in a disorganized mob, and like any true to form mob it was very vocal; with a flurry of peeps from each of the ducklings. Art couldn't help but smile at the sight, he loved animals.  
Finally the entire group had made it across and followed their mother into the small pond that sat just a little ways out from the road.  
Arthur put his car back into drive and continued on his trek to his new home.

By now the sun was high in the sky. The clock on his car stereo showed 1:37pm, but her never knew if it was to trust that or not without consulting the sun first. It was a simple trick but his grandfather showed it to him years ago before he left for Florida to retire. Yep, the clock was correct.  
He slowed his car as he made a left turn up a long dirt road. There was a large hand carved wooden sign that sat beside it that read "The Cromwell Farm" in big bold letters. Did gramps carve this himself? Arthur thought about how his grandfather used to sit on their porch at night overlooking the great lakes and would carve little totem poles out of chunks of wood using nothing but a little pocket knife.

His car was moving at a crawl down the gravel and dirt road, the sound of loose rocks crunching and scraping together under the weight of the tires was akin to that of a giant bowl of rice krispies, Arthur though. Because this was a lightly forested road, he also feared that a deer or any other small creature might make a mad dash across the road.  
After a short two minute drive through the forested area, he emerged into a expansive opening where the sun was beating down on him with much gusto. Out his front windshield he saw an expanse of farmland that seemed almost too perfect for words: The grass was a vibrant green and blossoms caught in the wind danced about in the most magnificent of ways. He surveyed the farm, or what was left of it as he drove up to the small two bedroom farmhouse that sat the center of the farm. To the left of the house stood a tall silo, most likely where the feed for the barn and coop that sat on the left and right of the silo respectively. Beyond that was the crop field, completely fenced in with what appeared to be made up entirely of treated logs from trees that were cut down from the forest around the farm. Leave it to gramps to save money while also effectively using what the land offers him, he no doubt planted two more trees for each one that came down to make this fence.  
Beyond the small root and plant crop field was the stalk crop field; Here corn was planted in mass numbers creating a cornfield that he can hazily remember running through as a small child on his one and only trip to his grandfather's farm more than 20 years ago. Now however it was barren.. Completely void of plant life except for weeds and some wildflowers and even... an old tractor? All of this would have to be cleared out before he could even begin thinking about planting here. Luckily the smaller crop field faired slightly better and was thankfully void of any broken down old machinery; he could start planting on it in a matter of days.  
A river ran through the western side of the farm, probably one of the many forks that ran from that huge lake he saw on the ride here.

Arthur took a peek inside of the barn and coop, they were mostly in good condition except for the piles of feathers that were inside the coop. He knew what sat beneath the feathers: The remains of the chickens that had died in those spots, most definitely attributed to his uncle's neglect of the farm. He was thankful that there were no carcasses leftover of any of the barn animals. Did he even have any? He was afraid to see what the inside of the house looked like, and it was that he was going to check next.

He unlocked the door to the small two bedroom farmhouse, turning the key and then the doorknob and he pushed the door open. The house stunk of alcohol and there empty beer cans and bottles everywhere; on the couch, the dinner table, the shelves. His uncle was an alcoholic through and through so it didn't surprise him once he got the news that the deed had been taken back from him.  
Arthur pulled open the curtains of the big bay window in the living room, illuminating the entire room and some of the kitchen. He examined it all closely, and to his relief the smell of the beer was coming from the half empty cans and not from potentially budweiser-soaked couch cushions-- from what he could tell at least. The electricity had not yet been restored to the farm and he would have to drive down to town before nightfall to get it turned back on.  
He went from room to room opening up windows and pulling back curtains to light up the house. It seems only the living room suffered as all the other rooms -even the master bedroom- were all clean. He figured he would throw out the mattress however, clean or not, he didn't much care sleeping on an old bed that formally kept an alcoholic.  
Next he entered the kitchen and once again opened up all the windows, and then turned his gaze upon the fridge. He could only hope that there wasn't any food left behind after the eviction... He wasn't so lucky. The vile, sour odor that assaulted Art's nostrils upon opening the door was almost too much for words: There was not only soured milk, but eggs and even meat. Literally everything that COULD rot and produce a powerful odor was in this fridge, and that would have to be one of the first things besides the trash in the living room that he would have to clean up before absolutely anything else.

After the house had been inspected, he thought it was time to head into town to get the power restored as well as pick up some cleaning supplies and trash bags. He sat back in the driver's seat of his wagon and pulled a map off the dashboard and opened it up. His grandfather had mailed this to him a few months back along with the keys to the house and the deed. Their farm had been circled in a thick red ink with the words "IMPORTANT" written above it. Another line was drawn down a road that lead away from the farm, it connected with another big red circle with the words "ALSO IMPORTANT" written below it.  
The second circle contained the town of Seasons; A small farming town that has met the needs of the various farms around this area of New Hampshire for generations, and he recalls grandpa talking about it numerous times. It sat just below the farmland, on the flatland at the bottom of the hill that rolled downwards right outside the driveway to the farm. The road swerved and made an S-shape as it followed the hill to the bottom and kept on going right through town.

A large green "Welcome to Seasons" sign stood on the left side of the road, held afloat by two steel beams. Below it was a smaller sign with interchangeable numbers, and it said "Population: 6800".  
He was the only car on the road into town so slowed his progress a bit and pulled to the side of the road in a waiting area and then removed the map his grandfather had given him. He opened it up and then flipped it around to reveal a second map - A map of Seasons - stapled to the back. He laid it across the steering wheel and glanced over the map.  
He first located the entrance to town and tapped his finger on it and said, "I'm here." Tracing his finger down the road, he found himself - Well, his finger - on Main Street. It was one long stretch of road, sandwiched between sidewalks that sat before a wall of brick and mortar structures of all kinds; Each building was depicted as a small square on the map with a little letter on the inside. On the edge of the map was a legend key and you would cross reference the letters with the legend to find out which buildings were which. The map was dated January 1994 so it was up to date.  
He traced the map with his finger until he located town hall, which wasn't too hard considering it was the biggest building there. It sat in the center of main street, between the post office and the bank. An old movie theater sat directly across the street from the post office and he hoped that they were playing Clifford, and he told himself he would stop in there and check after getting electric restored to his new home.

He entered a school zone and saw various bright yellow school buses going here and there, letting off its young passengers as they returned home from a day of school.  
Being stuck behind a bus gave him the chance to survey the town as he drove through it; making notes of places that did not appear on the map his grandfather obviously drew up for him. There was a split in the road shortly after entering town: The left and right roads lead to residential areas, where flora and beautiful scenery was abundant; Where kids played in their front yards and robin birds sung merrily in the branches of the many oak trees that stood in the backyards of many houses. The elementary school was located down the right road and the high school down the left.  
The bus that slowed his ride into town finally turned off on another road and allowed him to pass freely as he sped up a bit driving into Main Street.  
It was mid-day and people were running all over, to meetings with friends or business partners. To grab a bite to eat or hit a matinee show at a theater. There were older men and women in overalls entering the farm tool shop on his right, and on the left was a pet shop with kids -fresh out of school with backpacks over their shoulders - glued to the windows watching the puppies play and paw at the glass as they sought human companionship.  
His wagon stopped and sputtered a bit, spitting a huge puff of black smoke accompanied by a loud bang that everyone in Seasons likely heard. The kids, the elderly and the people in business suits all turned their heads to look at the source of the sudden explosion - To look at Arthur, a stranger in their midst - Even the puppies were cocking their heads to the side.  
He smiled and waved at the two elderly women that sat on the bench just to the right side of his car. It felt like an eternity. He felt so bad having had that happen when they were so close. He put the pedal to the metal and moved farther down the road and into center of Main Street.  
A familiar sight caught his eye. "A Funcoland? Here?" He said aloud, the sight of the rainbow letters in the logo and advertisements for the latest video games taped to the large windows and glass door legitimately shocking him. This discovery was a blessing and a source of sudden anxiety. Would he even have time to play video games and run a farm? Sure he would... Or so he hoped.

There were very few cars moving through the center of town with much of the traffic contained on the outskirts. Save for the bus that ran on a schedule and was now pulling into the stop a little ways back to pick up those spooked grannies, there was no traffic at all on Main Street. Finding a parking space close to the town hall was a cinch.  
He cut the engine off and removed his keys from the ignition and stepped out of his car into the brisk early springtime air. The smell of fresh warm popcorn lightly salted the air here, thanks entirely in part to the movie theater that sat just across the street.  
Arthur looked but couldn't tell which movies were being played at the moment.  
Finally he stood outside of the town hall; It was the tallest building in town, save for the church and its steeple. The building, like most of the buildings here on main street, was made up of red bricks. There was a large set of doors sitting at the top of a small flight of stairs that lead into the buildings. Beside that were two large oval shaped windows on each side and two large stone pillars that sat between those just a few feet out.  
The man placed a hand on the door knob on the right door and turned it and then began to push. The door would not budge. The space above the door clearly indicated that it was suppose to open when pushed.  
The left door flew open as a man in a clean pressed grey suit and red tie exited. He nodded in Arthur's direction and soon disappeared down the street.  
"Should've known." He thought. He pulled on the door and entered the building. "Not even in town for an hour and already I'm having trouble opening doors. I'm gonna be great at this farming thing."

He approached the receptionists desk on the right side of the room. The countertop was made up of cherry wood and - oddly enough - brick for the base. Behind the desk was a small black-haired woman wearing thick bottle cap glasses. She wore her hair up in a bun with a pencil stabbed through it to hold it in place. She was busy taking notes while talking to a plainly audible voice over the phone. They sounded angry. She held up a finger, signaling that she would be with him in just a moment and he nodded.  
He took a look around the building, taking in its inner decor: There was a red rug running through the middle of the building and up another small flight of stairs, stopping before another large set of doors. Sitting beside the door were two plastic potted plants on each side. The floor was covered in ceramic tiles bearing a brown rustic design that Arthur found to be gaudy.  
The little woman behind the desk hung up the phone and breathed a sigh of relief while rubbing her temple with her index and middle fingers. "I'm really sorry about that sir." She said in a nasally sounding voice. "What can I do for you today?"  
"Oh it's quite all right." He pulled a piece of paper from his back pocket and presented it to her. "I'm here to see the Mayor. I recently came into possession of my grandfather's... Of the Cromwell property up north and I need to talk to the-"  
"You're Jay Cromwell's grandson aren't you? Arthur I believe?" She said as she sorted through papers on her desk. "Ah yes, we've heard a lot about you over these past few months. Old Jay told us all about you and what was going on with the farm."  
Arthur felt embarrassed. They knew all about him and who he was and what was going on... Or so he thought, hopefully it was just knowledge of those here at town hall.  
"The whole entire town misses the days of your Grandfather's farm. They can hardly wait for you to get it up and going again." Nope, the entire town knows. "Just go on through, the mayor is waiting for you." She leaned over to the little black intercom system sitting on the side of the desk and pushed a little red button and said, "Sir, there's an Arthur Cromwell here to see you. I'm sending him in now."

He approached the large mahogany double doors and pushed them open and entered the mayor's office. The walls here were a cream colored off-white. Large paintings covered most of the walls, with various other wall and floor based knick knacks scattered elsewhere. At the back of the room was a large cherry wood desk, set before a large bay window with large red curtains that were tied back with bright yellow bowties.  
Behind the desk sat a short stubby man of about five feet, a huge round belly and a wore a pair of suspenders over a white button dress shirt and a red tie. He was busy writing away on a piece of paper that sat before him on his desk. As Arthur approached, the man held up a finger as to say "Please wait a minute, I am busy."  
A few moments pass before the plump man sets his pen down onto the desk. Then, cupping his hands in front of him and took a deep breath. "What can ah do for ya, sonny?" The plump man said with a grating southern twang.  
"My name's Arthur Cromw-"  
"Boy howdy! It's -THE- Arthur Cromwell!" The man appeared to be getting up on to his feet, but then sank lower, nearly disappearing behind the desk. Only the top of his head was seen moving moving along behind the desk until the man stepped out from behind and revealed his not-so grand stature. Standing nearly four feet tall, the man had a big round belly and wore a white shirt lined with pale blue stripes and brown pants held up by suspenders.  
He grabbed Arthur's hand and shook it, a huge smile cutting across his face. Arthur wasn't sure how to react or what to say, and he was afraid he might accidentally make a crack about the man's height. He told himself over and over in rapid succession, "DO NOT USE THE WORLD SMALL IN ANY WAY"  
"So Arthur, the whole town has been anticipating your arrival. Ya know your grandfather ran the most profitable and loved farm around, so we were all greatly disheartened when we found he was retiring and handing his farm over to his, uh, last successor. Ahem." He coughed before continuing. "I have ta ask: Are ya nervous?"  
Arthur paused and thought of how he was going to answer his question... For like a split second. "Just a tiny bit." he blurted out with zero hesitation. "CRAP" He thought to himself.  
The mayor guffawed. "Well that's fantastic, son. It's only natural to be a little nervous, afterall you are taking control of a farm with the goal of continuing your grandfather's legacy. You have a lot to live up to, but I think you will do just fine."  
Arthur nodded.  
"Allow me to introduce myself: I am Mayor Dobson. Mack Dobson, but you can call me Mack, or Mr. Mayor. Whichever you prefer. Your grandfather and I go way back and he has told me so much about you via letters, so it feels like I already know you, strange, huh Arthur? May I call you Arthur?" He said in one single breathe.  
"Sure I-"  
"YEE HAW! So let's get down to business now, shall we Arthur? Ah assume you've come here to get the power restored to the farm, correct?"  
Arthur nodded.  
"Say no more, I'll get on the line and have it turned back on ASAP."  
"Thank you sir."  
"Now ah would love ta continue chatting with you Arthur but if I'm to get business sorted out with your farm before the day's, I'll have to get on the wire immediately. I will drop by the farm in the morning to make sure everything is in working order, all right" Arthur nodded and then made his exit. He smiled and waved at the receptionist on his way out.

Back out on the streets of Seasons, Arthur felt his stomach rumbling and it realized he hadn't eaten anything since the early this morning. With that in mind he set off down the street, taking in the sights and sounds of Main Street and the many inhabitants whom were now going about their daily routines up and down the sidewalks. They cut across the street and disappeared and reappeared in the many shops that made up this quaint little town.  
At the cross-section ahead, on the corner between Main Street Rd. and Summer Lane sat a small diner with an outdoor cafe that sat safely underneath an eave, shielding the diner's patrons that chose to eat outdoors from the sun and other weather effects that would otherwise ruin a pleasent meal.  
As he stepped inside, pushing the glass door away from him, it rang a tiny little bell overhead, alerting the man behind the counter of his arrival. "Please take a seat, newcomer. I'll be right with you as soon as I-- HEY" He yelled into the kitchen. A tiny feminine voice shot back.  
"What?!"  
The hefty man replied in a loud harsh tone "Hurry up with that order of seasoned fries will ya?" The shouting match did not seem to affect any of the patrons in the least bit, probably regulars that were used to the commotion Arthur thought. He snorted and then took a seat at the bar. He picked up a menu and looked over the limited offerings. He liked the sound and smell of those seasoned fried, and the listing for a supreme ham and cheese sandwich sounded good.  
"HEY I SAID HURRY UP!" The thin old man sitting across from reacted to the most recent shouting match. It appears not all of them were totally used to it. The hefty man walked over beside Arthur, small notepad in hand. "All right man, what can I get for you?" He said, towering over Arthur, his massive girth making him seem all the more intimidating.  
He took one last look at the offerings and began to speak, and as he did so the hefty man began to write. Athur asked him what made their sandwich "supreme", to which the large man explained, "Well, our ham comes from pigs from nearby farms, straight from the butcher's shop to my diner and is cooked and chilled before we open each morning. The cheese is also locally made, using milk from local cows. We also like to top it it off with a bit of mayo and a special sauce I made up myself using my own top secret recipe. It compliments the taste of the ham perfectly.  
Arthur's mouth was watering at the man's explanation. "That sounds good, yeah I'll have that." He placed his menu back down onto the counter. "And I am right to assume that the potatoes the fries come from are locally grown too?"  
The big man raised one eyebrow and then said "Pshh, no they're all frozen, store bought. None of the remaining farms around here can grow potatoes were a darn. At least, they can't grow potatoes worthy of being sold in my diner." He disappeared into the kitchen. Arthur noticed the tiny old man sitting a few stools down slump a bit, he couldn't help but wonder why but chose to mind his own business.  
He admired the decor of the diner. It was all done in hardwood pine. The countertop was a black and white marble and the floors were a smooth brown tile, which made it easy to clean up. Plastered all over the walls behind the counter were various awards, framed newspaper clippings and polaroids of what looked like large amounts of vegetables, probably harvests that supplied the restaurant with its ingredients. In the center of the room was a single large ceiling fan that circulated air quite nicely and the building was quite cool as a result.  
The swinging door to the kitchen swung open and grabbed Arthur's attention. It wasn't the big husky man this time, but a smaller figure. A girl. She wore a pair of black jeans and a white t-shirt that was tied in a knot above her abdomen, exposing her belly and her hair was a deep black, not even shoulder length but with extra long bangs, one of which she kept brushed over her left eye. She couldn't have been much taller than four feet. She must look so tiny when standing next to the diner owner.  
The short girl emerged with two trays; one in each hand, each one had different contents. She first made her way over to the man sitting at a lone table by the window, then made her way over to Arthur who found his place at the bar.  
"Here ya are sir, one supreme ham and cheese sandwich and a side of seasoned fries... You know, I've never known anyone to have fries with a ham and cheese sandwich."  
Art couldn't help but blush a little bit, his cheeks turned slightly crimson. He wasn't good around girls, even more so ones that were this cute. He couldn't help taking quick glances at her exposed belly.  
"I'd usually make a jab at normal patrons for ordering such odd combinations, but you're new so I'll let you slide." She said as she wrote something down onto a small notepad and then dropped it onto his tray. "Just go ahead and leave the money behind when you go, 'kay?" The girl disappeared back into the kitchen, leaving Arthur to his meal.  
The sandwich was very thick - almost three inches - with two thick slices of white American cheese on the top and bottom of the thick amount of shredded ham. A smooth, thin orange-ish red sauce oozed from top of the baguette where the cheese touched the top of the bread. This must be the secret sauce Arthur thought. "Looks more like an oil than it does a sauce."  
He sat quietly for ten minutes, slowly eating away at his much bigger than expected ham and cheese sandwich, popping in a French fry or two between bites, and before too long the plate was clear, save for a few crumbs and pieces of stray ham that made an attempt to escape. Arthur removed a six dollars from his wallet and placed it under the tray along with the bill and then made his leave, exiting the small diner and as he did so, he couldn't help but feel that he'd be coming back here numerous times.

He made his way back to the Fenrir, a name he had given to his wagon in just the past five minutes. He stuck his key into the door and turned it, unlocking it and granting him access to the interior. He turned and looked over the street that ran off into the distance in front of his car; The various places of business and apartment buildings. The people hustling back and forth from one side to the other. It seemed like an incredibly nice town, and more and more he's finding himself interested in it and its inhabitants. While the thought of running his Grandfather's farm still gives him a sinking feeling in his gut, seeing the town and meeting a few of its inhabitants has given him a bit of hope and comfort. That or maybe he's just being a bit too optimistic based on the three residents that he met today in Seasons. Only time will tell, and right now, his plan is to return to the farmhouse and clean up so that he'll have a place to stay for the night.

Arthur's farm story is just beginning.


	2. A Tour of the Town [April 4th]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All ready to start his farming adventure the day after moving into his grandfather's farmhouse, but to his dismay there were no tools left on the farm to work with. Enter Mayor Mack Dobson with an offer that Arthur just can't refuse-- or can't refuse more like it.

The sun made its way into Arthur's new bedroom through the curtain-less bay window that sat to the right of the fullsize bed. Dust particles danced lazily in the morning sunlight creating a atmospheric cloud that helped in setting the mood this early spring morning.  
A black trash bag sat in the corner of the room, propped up against the wall with its top untied and hanging lethargically, its lip slightly open revealing the rainbow of clothes inside.   
The air was cool this morning, much as it was anywhere at such an altitude. The sky was still pale blue color, with dark clouds moving across the horizon, just below the sun which now sat comfortably high in the sky; It was an ideal spring morning, with numerous song birds out and about, whistling their pleasant - or aggravating depending on who you ask - tunes. The land in which the Cromwell's farm had been built upon land that some might consider to be a bit TOO perfect; A picturesque landscape that seems like mother nature carved it out of the earth with a small farm in mind. There was a pasture that could sustain eight, maybe ten cows or any combination of barn animal. A slow moving stream cut through the farm, separating the crop field from the pasture, and it was this that kept the soil fertile, which was probably why Grampa Jay chose that area to grow crops in and blocked off the pasture with sturdy wooden fences so that the animals didn't make their way over to eat the helpless vegetables. Sitting adjacent to the crop field and the body of an unmovable old junker that sits peacefully and quietly was an elevated piece of land that was quite flat and it was here that grampa had setup some beehives. Now however the hives were in shambles and the bees were long gone, probably fled to another nearby farm. There were six hives in all, each sitting eight feet apart from each other.

The digital clock that sat beside Arthur's bed flashed 12:00 repeatedly as he forgot to set it before going to bed last night after he finished cleaning the house. He laid beneath a single white bed sheet, hardly enough to keep him adequately warm, for even though power had been restored, the house was heated with a wood stove. He reached out from underneath and grabbed his wrist watch from the night stand. It read 9:36am. He threw the covers off of him and sat up in bed, rubbed his eyes and then yawned. His hair was a mess, it stuck out to the sides in a manner that would remind you of a mad scientist but wasn't anything a quick brushing wouldn't fix. Finally he climbed out of bed and made his way into the bathroom where he cleaned himself up and made use of the toilet and sink. He gargled and then spat and then exited the bathroom, shutting the light off and pulling the door shut behind him.   
He took a look at the bed from which he had struggled to sleep on. It wasn't comfortable and the springs poked him in the back. It was an old mattress, probably almost as old as grampa and it smelled like beer. It was time to be thrown out, but that would have to wait, it's not like he could afford one right now anyway.   
Arthur exited to officially start his first day on the farm, took his first step out onto the farmland and right into the Mayor whom thanks to his short stature, Arthur did no see. The two tumbled and fell out onto the earth below, eliciting a "Yeeehawww" from the mayor as he went down.

The two men rose, one standing an upright 5'10 and the other, the shortly portly mayor, only 4'10. They dusted themselves off, both thankful that it had not rained recently.   
"Arthur m'boy! How ya doing this fine spring day"   
After making sure that his red hoodie was clear of most dirt and small debris, he looked down at the mayor and nodded. "I'm fine, Mr. Mayor. I hope you're doing well yourself."  
"That's Mack to ya, or Mr. Dobson. And yes I ahm doing great, as is the whole town. We're all mighty excited that the Cromwell Farm is going to become active once again. Why, you're the talk of the town right now, son!" Exclaimed the mayor, his enthusiasm and excitement grew as his sentence moved along. Arthur couldn't help but feel just a little bit anxious over what he was hearing, was grampa's presence really that big in Seasons?  
"I'll try my best, sir. I don't know if I can live up to the legend that my grandfather was around here apparently, but I'll do what I can." The mayor's eyes widened at Arthur's response. The short man was very enthusiastic about all this, but Arthur couldn't' help but feel that there was something more to all this. It wasn't JUST about the farm returning to a productive state... He'd have to ask about it at a later point. "Umm, Mr. May- err, Mack, not to sound rude or anything, but whare you doing here?"   
"Ahaha a fine question, Arthur." He said as he pulled out a little notepad from his chest pocket and opened it halfway through. "What am I doing here at your doorstep at 8am in the morning? Well...wait, what am I doing here?" There was an awkward moment of silence save for a few singing birds and the rustling of the mayor's notepad as he cycled through the pages. "Ah right, I remember now. I wanted to offer you a tour of the town and show you where all the must-go places for an up and coming farmer, as well as introduce you to the townfolk who are surely chomping at the bit to meet ya."  
"Well I was really hoping to get started clearing out the field today and-" The mayor stopped him mid sentence.  
"Ah will not take no for an answer. Plus it might serve you well to stop by the town's seed and tool shops." He said with a wink.  
Arthur took one look at his field and thought for a few seconds before realizing that he really didn't have the tools of the trade at his disposal. No seeds to plant either. What was it he was planning on doing today anyway? He agreed to the mayor's proposal.  
"Boy howdy! You are not going to regret this one bit Arthur, trust me. Now let's get going shall we?"   
Arthur nodded and asked, "All right, so do we take your car or mine?" Which elicited a response from the mayor that he wasn't quite expecting. The man guffawed at Arthur's question. The man's southern accent was so trong that it even wove itself around his hardy laugh, which quite frankly was loud and very powerful for such a small man. "What's so funny?" He asked.  
"My boy, my boy. We don't need to drive back to town. Now ah don't know if you noticed this or not but there is paved walkway - complete with railing - that cuts right down the middle of Winding Road. Your grandfather used it daily, often times several times a day, whenever he'd visit us in town."   
It's not as if he had missed it or anything, he just didn't look. Driving is just so much quicker.   
"Now come with me Arthur, I want to show you this pathway. We're gonna walk it to town, just like your grandfather did before you." 

At the top of the hill, outside of the farm's property line they could look down upon the town of Seasons and the land that stretched out beyond it, eventually hitting the ocean. The town was segmented: There was Main Street, which housed most but not all of the businesses and that road cut right through it and out the other side. At either entrance of town the road split off to the left and right. From the direction Arthur was facing the town from the top of the hill, if you made a left you would end up on Summer Avenue: Where it looks like the elementary school stood, among a line of housses, a playground and what looked like a large garden-like area.   
Taking a right takes you down Spring Road, an area which is almost primarily private residences, save for the high school that sat facing the elementary school on the other side of town. There is also a road that looks to lead out of town and into a big open expanse of land, most likely the fairgrounds where festivals and other public events are held.

"What do ya think, Arthur? Isn't she a doll? You won't find a more perfect town anywhere else in country I tell you what. It always brings a tear to mah eyes when I look at it from this angle..." The man's voice grew solemn, nostalgic. He loved the town in which he governed, this much is clear. Arthur felt a rush of happiness rush over him. Perhaps taking grampa up on the decision to try and revive the farm was a good idea after all.   
"Allrighty Arthur, sorry for getting all teary eyed just now. Let's down to town now and introduce you to everyone!" 

The trek down the winding road was surprisingly short, lasting only a mere ten minutes, much to Arthur's surprise. The first time he drove up and down the winding road the day before, it took only a few minutes each time, but the turns needed and the poor design of the road made it rather difficult, especially at dusk. Now he knew why they just chose to walk the path, not only because it was a direct route to his farm but also because it was quite scenic. He saw several squirrels scampering about, running through the patches of wildflowers that grew at random. Busy bees buzzed to and fro on their daily quest to collect they necessities. Birds stood in the trees, singing their jaunty tunes for anyone willing to lend an ear. Arthur had never seen such abundant wildlife before. The area in which he hails from in Michigan did not allow for much wildlife at all, and even a glimpse of a bat on a muggy summer night was a special treat.

Finally they stood underneath the arch that held afloat the "Welcome to Seasons" sign, the one Arthur drove under the day before. It seemed bigger now he thought and it kinda made him think of the gate from Jurassic Park which he saw last year with his father and cousin; It was his first time seeing a movie in theaters and it was something he'll never forget.  
The mayor grabbed Arthur by the arm and tugged him along, welcoming him - officially - to the town of Seasons. He started the tour by explaining when the town was founded, who the founding fathers - or mothers in this case - were and the number of people currently living there. He pointed down each road and detailing what you should expect to find. First the road on their left.  
"That leads to Summer Avenue, it's mostly a residential district, but also houses the town park and the Autumn Elementary School, where all of Seasons bright young'uns were going. We have some some of the brightest whipper-snappers this side of the USA!" Arthur knew he was just making that up, but he wouldn't say a word. "Now over yonder is the the town park and that sits right across from the elementary school, that's where the kids all go on recess, it's very safe. From there, the road moves along until it meets at the south exit of Main Street! At that corner is the Belfast Diner." He took a deep breath before continuing. "Your grandfather used to be the sole provider of ingredients for that establishment before he retired. Some of the other farms have stepped in to try and form a partnership but their crops just could not meet the standards the diner's many many customers had come to expect. A shame really... But ahm sure Jay's grandson can grow help turn it around right?"   
The tour continued and Arthur was given a detailed description of what was down the road on the right: This was Spring Avenue, and it was entirely residential save for the Winters High school. The streets continued on with their stone sidewalks and streetlamps that lit up at night and made the safe to walk after sundown. Beyond the sidewalk was yards and yards of bright green grass, and those yards were sectioned off with a variety of different fences; from wired to white picket fencing to logs and even plastic. The houses each of these fences and the accompanying yard belonged to were full of character themselves. Arthur could only see a few houses from where he stood, but assumed that the individuals living in those houses probably reflected their yard, or was it the other way around?  
The Mayor clapped his hands together and announced, "Boy howdy, now let's show you around Main Street. There are plenty of shops there you'll just have to visit!" 

The duo resumed their trek down Main Street, passing the Funcoland video game store that he had made a mental note to stop at sometime soon. Just past this familiar sight, sitting snugly behind it was an electronics store called Doug's Electronics. The old wooden sign that sat atop its storefront displayed the store's name in big bold red letters, it was sure to catch your eye even if the lettering had faded over the years.  
On the left side of the road was a small sitting area where several benches were placed in a circle, each underneath a willow to provide shade to those looking to catch a short reprieve.   
Past the entrance was a sight Arthur was already becoming quite familiar with though at this time of the day, it wasn't quite as busy as it was when he had first visited. A few older folks were out walking hand in hand, sometimes accompanied by a dog.   
"All right Arthur, I'm gonna rundown Main Street for ye, 'kay?" Arthur nodded. "'kay. So. On the left here is where most of the local government is situated, 'ya here? You have mah offices sitting smack dab there in the middle, and sandwiching that are the town's post office and bank, two places ah am sure you'll be visiting quite often, or so ah I hope." The short man waddled on and Arthur followed, admiring the quaint storefronts that lined the street opposite of where the town hall stood.   
The two men now stood in front of the town hall and were facing the other side, that's when the mayor began to speak once more and explained to Arthur that the three stores that say direct across the street from his offices were the town's go-to strip for all things to farming and more. He held up his stubby little arms and pointed to the building on the far left first. It was a pretty little building with numerous flowers and plants sitting outside it, all neatly arranged with multiple colors and scents all working in tandem to draw the eye.  
"Now that there is the florist, but don't let the exterior fool ya, ya hear? Flora's Flowers is two businesses in one and you'll see what I mean once we stop in for a visit here shortly."   
His hand moved to the next building over. This one wasn't as wide as the florists and the brick it was made out of it was much grimier; like it hadn't been sprayed down in years. This made sense, thought Arthur, once he looked up at the cheaply made sign that sat over the storefront.  
"Jolly's Tools 'o the Trade. Season's number one stop for hammers, axes, rakes and pitchforks. And the occasional hoe if you happen to be in the market for a new one." Arthur chortled lightly, he couldn't decide what he found funnier: The fact that the town's mayor just made a dirty joke or the fact that a tool shop named Jolly's was a dirty, depressing mess of a building. "Ah used to date the prorpietor of Jolly's years ago. We dated for two or three months before, eh... Well I'll let you meet her and you see for yourself." He cleared his throat and fingred the final building. It was the smalled of the three and had only a single large window at its front, and above it was a cow and chicken carved out of wood and painted in bright vibrant colors with the words "Felix Ranch Direct" He sighed before continuing. "This is a business meant to act as an in between to a farm out to the west called Felix Ranch. Now ah do think the Felix family is a nice group 'o people and ah do enjoy talking to the senior that works there, but the lad that runs the shop here in town is well, a bit of a downer. We won't be stopping there this morning but YOU will at some point once you want to start raising animals on your farm."

The mayor clapped his hands together and repeated what he had told Arthur earlier before the tour began. They were going to be visiting a few shops today, namely the florist and the tool shop. Arthur nodded in agreement and walked across the road, the hobbit of a mayor in toe. He could see the movie theater just beside the livestock dealer's little nook in the strip- he couldn't wait to stop in and catch a movie one of these nights. He looked farther down the line of buildings on this side of the road and saw a hanging sign shaped like a piece of candy. "A candy shop? How cool is that" He thought ot himself. Further down than that, at the end of Main Street where Spring Street met Main Street stood a rather large building made up of white brick, looked like a grocery market of sorts but he couldn't make out the logo.  
"Ahhh right my boy, here is our first stop: Flora's Flowers."

Stepping into what was the largest of the three farmer's interest shops; the store was full of flowers of all kinds, for tulips to roses to orchids, sunflowers and venus flytraps-- Every type of flower you could hope to find was carefully displayed in decorative vases and expertly positioned around the store. Flower-less vases were all sitting side by side on a shelf on the far right wall and each sported a white piece of paper with markings scrawled across them in a black permanent marker. Arthur focused in on some of them and found that they were prices, and that some of the vases even reached the triple digit mark. Outrageous. His attention turned to the woman behind the counter, whom was busy snipping the ends off of roses likely meant for a bouquet.   
"Arthur, I want you to meet Flora, Seasons own expert botanist and garden shop owner. She's a graduate from NHCU and moved here to Seasons about fifteen-something years ago. She's a lovely woman and a literal walking encyclopedia when it comes to plants of all kinds, I tell you what." She was blushing now, it could be seen even against her dark skin. The mayor was right, Arthur thought, she was a very lovely woman. Judging by her appearance Arthur concluded that she was maybe in her early to mid forties. She was very refined, and had an air about her that just screamed intelligence.  
"Mack Dobson you sweet talker you, you always were one to flatter a girl." The mayor didn't reply, only nodded and blushed... He was blushing? How about that. Then her gaze turned to Arthur. "You must be Arthur, grandson of Jay Cromwell. I've heard a lot about you from your grandfather and the mayor alike. C'mere, I want to look at you up close." He approached the counter and stood before her, he felt her eyes scan up and down his body for head to toe. It was awkward, and he didn't know quite what to say. "Mmm-mm, you're Jay's grandson all right, no doubt about. You both have similar eyes." She announced. "You certainly look like a natural born farmer. Tell me, have you ever worked on a farm before?"   
He wasn't sure quite how to answer that question. Sure he had visited his grandfather's farm a grand total of ONE time in his life, and the most physical labor he had ever done was as a cashier at grocery market back in Michigan. Once again the anxiety had returned. What was he doing here? He's no farmer, even if his grandfather seems to think otherwise. Why did he agree to this?! He just wanted out, this is too mu-  
"You don't have to answer. I can feel it, that aura you emanate. You're a natural born farmer, you'll do great unlike your unc-" She stopped and did not finish that sentence. "Anyway. Come here, I have a little starter pack for you." She disappeared into the backroom for a short while then reappeared with a large plain brown box in her hands. She set it down onto the counter with a loud THUMP and nodded to it. "Go ahead, open it up."   
He lifted the top of the box and peered inside. There was a large watering can - a blue one, and it was pretty nice one at that. Beside it were three large bags that were tied at the tops using twine. He lifted each one up and inspected them: The first was in a bag of white fabric, and stitched on the front was an image of a cartoonish turnip. The second was a deep green and featured a cucumber on the front. And finally the third was brown and sported a potato."Are these...?"  
"Yep, they're vegetable seeds and the perfect starter pack for an up and coming farmer such as yourself. These are going to be the easiest for you to grow starting out and after a while, once you start proving yourself like I and the rest of the town know you will, I will sell you more advanced crops. Sound good?"   
(Does the town really have this much confidence in me? Wow...) Arthur looked over each bag of seeds once more. They were actually kind of cute and he loved the way it was made specifically for each crop. "Now you be sure to bring those back once you're ready to buy more seeds, otherwise I'll be charging you quite a bit more than the average. You got it?" Arthur looked perplexed. Was this some sort of membership deal? What is even going on here. "Yeah, I put a lot of work into those bags. I only sell to repeat customers that bring those bags back."   
"Well thank you Flora, I really appreciate it. And I will take good care of the bags, and the watering can too." He nodded and she waved them goodbye as she had a customer to tend to. Arthur hadn't even noticed them enter the building.  
"All righty, next up is Mizz Jolly's tools hop." He swallowed hard, and Arthur caught it. "Now I have to warn ye before we enter. Mizz Jolly doesn't quite live up to her maiden name ye see... She's quite hardened and, well y'all will see once we get in there.

The duo entered the dirty old brick and mortar. It was just as dirty inside as it was out, but yet still kept a professional appearance. It was the type of dirty one should expect from a country tool shop. There were two large wooden circular structures int he middle of the store, each housing different rakes, hoes and pitchforks. All looked to be cheaply made and thus weren't with the rest of the exquisitely crafted tools on the walls, if one could use such a description for yard and garden tools.  
Each step across the store's showroom floor was met with creak as the floorboards bent underfoot from the weight being placed upon them. There was dust everywhere, no matter where you looked! Or was it dirt from the types of people that commonly used this store? Probably both.  
Arthur stepped up the counter and rang the little bell. He didn't notice that mayor hadn't followed him up, just like at Flora's. Or was it because he was scared this time? He wasn't sure. "Yeah wudd'ya want?" sounded out from the back room; a large, abrasive voice. Much too deep for a woman Arthur thought. He was quickly proven wrong as a large, rather rugged woman -complete with a mullet, blue jeans and plaid shirt with the sleeves cut off or rather ripped off from the looks of it.  
"Oh um hi, my name's Arthur. I just moved-"   
She cut him off without hesitation. "-in at the old Cromwell place, I know. Listen boyo, I don't gots a lotta time to be dealing with yous today so I'm going to make this short: I knew your grampa and I respected him. He izza great man and a hard worker and Is respects them. And yous, I respects yous too. I am no duh-ta-duh and could sees yous farming aura right offs and sois I am gunna give you a gift." She lifted a muscular arm and pointed at the crate in the corner of the room, something Arthur hadn't noticed earlier. "In that crate over'dere are some uv my bettah tools, they won't break as easily so yous'ull get more use outta dem."   
Arthur smiled and turned to face the burly woman who was already returning to the back room. "Thank you, Miss Jolly. I really appreci-"   
"Yas, yas..." She turned and looked back towards the entrance of the store. At Mayor Mack Dobson. "I see yous there, Mack. I still loves ya, ya didn't crush this heart. I will always have a place here for ye, ehehehe." And then she disappeared once again into the back room.

Back out in the sunlight. Mayor Dobson was breathing heavily, his face was flush and he was sweating.   
"Hey mayor, are you okay? You don't look good." Asked Arthur.  
"Hehe... Yeah ahm fine, don't you worry son. That woman there though..."   
The two started off across the street and towards town hall where Arthur was sure the mayor was eager to get back to and get to his mayoral duties.   
"Hey um, mayor, if you don't mind my asking... What exactly IS the history between you and Ms. Jolly back there?" The mayor hung his head, chewed for a few seconds and then stopped in his tracks. He faced Arthur and began to speak.  
"Ahm not going to go into great detail right now, but ah'll tell you this one little fact that almost everyone knows: When we were dating years ago. We were quite fond of each other, going on several dates a month. Ohhh it was a beautiful time to be alive, I'll tell ya what..." He swallowed and paused, seemingly not wanting to speak the next part out loud. "But she has quite the attitude as you could probably tell, and when Ms. Flora moved to town and we were chatting it up, Mizz saw us and took it for something else entirely. Rather than making a public deal over it, she took a fit out on me later that evening and almost ripped the assistant mayor's head off." He stopped and checked his watch. "Oh mah horses, it's almost 10am. Ah am sorry to cut this short Arthur, but duty calls. Now don't you worry about your gifts from the shopkeeps, they'll be delivered to your farm before noon. Ah will call someone up to do so right as soon as I get into mah office." And like that, the pint sized mayor was gone. Tucked safely away in confines of his office, deep within the town hall that stood nestled between the post office and the bank.  
Arthur started off on his way down the street, towards that large white building that he had somehow missed the day before. He thought about what the mayor had told him about his past relationship with Jolly, the tool shop owner. She was definitely something else. Perhaps the mayor had a thing for ratty mullets, who could say for sure. But what really had him scratching his head was the mention of an assistant mayor. He didn't see anyone other than the receptionist on his visit to the townhall the day before... Who was it exactly?  
And then it dawned on him. It wasn't WHO it was but rather WHAT it was. Mizz Jolly had almost neutered the mayor with her bare hands and that, Arthur thought, was hilarious.


	3. An Unexpected Guest [April 8th~10]

April 8th, 1994

Some time had passed since Arthur visited the town and was given a tour by the mayor. He met the owner of the flower shop, Flora Henkly; an older woman with a great personality and seemingly endless knowledge of all things plants.She gave him a gardening starter kit consisting of seeds and a nice watering can. His next stop was to the tool shop where he met the mayor's ex-girlfiend Mizz Jolly and needless to say, she left quite the impression on him. Since that day however, he hasn't left the farmland once. Upon returning home that day he found the box from Flora and Mizz Jolly propped up against his little farmhouse, complete with letters full of well wishes from the locals he has yet to even meet. With the tools set in place in the tool shed and the little chest of seeds tucked away beside the television set in the living room, Arthur had finally set to work on the field. 

His first plan of action was to clear our the weeds and debris that littered a small section of the crop field that was closest to the house. He first started with the rocks; either by smashing them with a hammer and carting away the jagged shards or by creating a natural wall for the flower garden he was going to row beside the farmhouse using the smaller, rounder rocks that he could lift. He dumped the broken shards along the stream that ran through farm with the idea that it might possible deter flooding if ever a situation presented itself.  
Next he tackled the many branches and twigs that littered that portion. He noted the uprooted tree that sat just beside the field, though most of it was cut and hauled away (probably the only work his uncle actually did on the farm) but the trunk, roots and much of the tree's many branches still remained. He did not have the means to remove the trunk or stump for the time being, but the branches could easily be chopped up and used as firewood later in the year, and alas that is exactly what he did: He returned to the tool shed and retrieved the axe that Mizz Jolly had sent him. It was one of the many tools that she produced herself, right there in the backroom of her shop as it had her brand imprinted on the handle. He located the first and easily biggest of the branched and then took a good strong whack at it. Nothing except a chip was taken out of it. He swung again, this time cutting deeper. The next swing was the last and he chopped right through the five inch thick dogwood tree branch. He repeated this four more times as he moved down the branch, each portion requiring additional swings the thicker it got to the base that initially attached itself to the body of the tree. He stacked each piece of wood into a wheel burrow and carted it off to the little shed beside the farmhouse, there he stacked it up neatly at the back and thought to himself, "I've got to chop a lot more wood if I'm going to fill this this thing up..."  
By time he had chopped all of the branches in the tiny portion he was planning on growing on, the sun was going down. 6pm had rolled around and he couldn't be happier; his back was hurting, his hands were blistered, cracked and bleeding in places and he was exhausted. He propped the axe up against the tool shed and turned back to look at all that he had accomplished today. The twenty by thirty square foot he was working on was void of rocks, stones, branches and twigs. All that remained now was to cut down the thick weed-like grass that covered the entire field. He was to start on this fresh in the morning he told himself and then he set off for the house.  
Inside, he heated up some beef stew that came from a can on the stove, providing a hearty albeit not very tasty dinner. He sat down in the living room to eat, in front of his 16' television set and turned to Nickelodeon to catch whatever cartoon it was they were airing at the time. He sat alone in the dimly lit room, all freshened up after having taken a shower to wash the dirt and grime from the day's work away. He leaned back, bowl in hand and felt content with himself. This wasn't so bad, he thought. Peaceful, quiet nights. The work was tough, sure but if what he had dealt with today was going to be the hardest, most labor-intensive part of it, then this would be no problem. He hoped. Tomorrow, he told himself, after the field has been weeded and dug up, he would clean the chicken coop up and remove the remains of the poor chickens that had died under the care - or lack thereof - of his uncle. But that was only if he had enough time to do so.  
After switching to the eleven 'o clock news to catch the weather forecast for the week - all sunny and mild, very spring-like thankfully - he shut the TV off and headed for bed, dropping the dirty bowl into the sink to be cleaned in the morning. He made it to his bed and pulled back the covers, then slipped his socks off before sliding into bed and nestling himself. Sleep came not soon after.

April 9th, 1994

The young man was quick to jump out of bed on this morning. The sun had yet to crest the mountains in western sky and so it was still dark out, though that did not stop the morning birds from breaking into song. He went to the bathroom and then returned minutes later, wearing his same gear from the day before: A red hoodie over a white t-shirt, navy blue cargo pants and black and white sneakers, all showing signs of the work he had put in on the previous day. He would wash them tonight, he told himself as he made his away across the living room and into the small kitchen where he washed his bowl from the night before, and then quickly filled it up with some cereal. He ate that while watching the 6am news, taking note that the temperatures for today were to be in the mid-60s around lunch and then quickly drop off into the lower 50s come the afternoon and overnight hours. Once he was done with his cereal, he washed the bowl once more and then set it aside on a towl that he kept beside the sink for dishes and then set off to the front door and to the field.  
He stepped outside into the brisk early spring air, the sun barely lighting the land as it finally began to creep above the horizon. Though it would rapidly warm up as the morning went on, there was still a chill in the air now that likely would be sticking around for another few hours. Oh well he thought as he took a step off the porch and stone path below. And as he did so, he caught a glimpse fo a small dark, shadowy figure dashing across his front yard and towards the foresty area at the entrance of the farm, scaring him and causing him to jump right back up onto the porch.  
"The heck was that?!" He yelled as he watched the figure move at an incredible speed across the field before disappearing in to the woods and out of sight. It bolted off from the direction of the chicken coop, so he thought that maybe it was a fox, or a coyote; neither one being something he'd hope to see here on the farm. The mystery animal out of sight, he returned to the path and made his way to the coop, noticing the door has been nudged open. He peered inside but couldn't see a thing and flipping the light switch did nothing. "The light bulb must need to be replaced..." He'd check again later after the sun was in the sky. He shut the door back tight and walked to the grassy field where he would be spending the rest of the day.

Since the field he was planting on first had been cleared of any and all debris the day before, he could start this morning mowing the top layer of thick weedy grass. He fired up the large push mower that had found stuff up under the shed. He wasn't even sure the thing was going to work; It was a mess and literally falling apart as the handle kept wanting to drop off from the rest of the machine due to the rusted hinges that kept them together. It sputtered and backfired, spewing a bunch of black smoke for the first couple of minutes before it calmed to a stable hum.  
"Well it seems to be working now..." He thought. Arthur pushed the machine forward into the thick grassy area and causing it to stall out. The grass was too thick and it brought the blade to a sudden halt. He was going to have to rev it up all over again, but decided against it, the darn machine was only going to stall out again with this grass so he was going to have to do it all by hand. He took a look at the rest of the field: At the branches, rocks and stones. Heck even a boulder was planted firmly in the garden. "Where the heck did that even come from?!". There was also the broken down old tractor that sat at the center of 100x100 foot field, it too was surrounded by exceptionally tall grass surrounded the tractor, which was strange because it wasn't that tall anywhere else on the field. He'd have to check that out later.  
He knew now that he definitely was not going to have this part dug up before the end of the day. There was simply too much to do by hand in a single day, but he resolved to the fact that it'd be just one more day before he could start planting and then dug in with his mattax, cutting away the earth and then pulling back to rip it up and pulling a large chunk of it away. Then another, and another. Breaks were taken after every several tiles of land to shovel up the dirt and grass clods into the wheel burrow to be carted away. He worked for several hours to come, right past lunch and straight to dinner. Finally deciding to call it a day at 5pm. His hands were cracked and bleeding, those callouses couldn't come soon enough.  
He returned to his tiny farmhouse, this time throwing his dirty, dirt covered clothes into the washing machine that stood in the small laundry room beside the kitchen before heading upstairs to take a shower. Exhausted did not even begin to describe how he felt today; the culmination of today's work and the previous days were too much. His body ached all over and he did not want to move once he finally sat down for the night, but sleep could not come. Not yet, it was too early and if he went to sleep now he'd only find himself awake around 3am which was much too early to begin work.  
Tonight he dined on a can of chicken noodle soup in front of his TV set, nearly dozing off several times - bowl in hand - before being jolted awake by some loud noise on the television.  
10pm rolled around and he was ready for bed. Not even five minutes after flopping down onto the bed did he fall asleep, not even bothering to get under the covers.

April 10th

The workday once again began at 6am, a full eight hours after crashing and Arthur was ready to go. All of the exhaustion and aches he felt from the night before were completely gone, which made him think, "Maybe they're right, maybe I am cut out for this after all." He set off for the field once more, after downing another bowl of cereal that is.

Now he would work on digging up the last remaining quarter of the 20x20 portion of the field. He would have it all dug up before noon and then would pay a visit to town, somewhere he hasn't been in the last three days.  
Mattax in hand, he chipped away at the earth. One tile, two tile, three tile, four. Shovel into the wheelbarrow and then repeat. The location in which he was dumping off the burrow fulls of dirt was a little ways beyond the crop field and in the direction of the forested area that lined the entire farmland. It took seven minutes to and from the dump site as he wanted to avoid having a large pile of dirt just mucking up the scenic view his grandfather's farm possessed-- One that he fell a little bit more in love with each passing morning.  
Noon finally rolled around and he was only a few more tiles away from completion. He called the shards of the land he was pulling up with his mattax tiles as it best fit the look of the squares he was cutting out of the war in order to make the area in which he was going to be growing his crops as clean and neat as possible-- however clean and neat twenty square feet of soil could look that is.

He positioned himself above the last few feet of crust he was to dig up. He raised his mattax up above his head and was about to take a swing when from all of a sudden, large crashing noises that sounded of pots and pants could be heart coming from the direction of his house.  
"Seriously? Someone is burglarizing me in broad daylight?"  
He made a mad dash towards his house, dirty mattax in-hand. Arthur couldn't believe this was happening, just a week after moving in he was being burgled. In broad daylight no less, and before he even had lunch! He stepped up onto the porch slowly and quietly, he placed a hand on the doorknob and turned it and pushed the old door open. Taking a step inside, he held the mattax up to his check. Another crash, this time something being placed into the sink? It came from the kitchen, and so he crept around the wall that housed the main doorway, staying out of sight and out of the intruder's line of view. He pressed himself right up against the small wall that jutted out from the front of the house and helped separate the kitchen from the living room. He took a deep breath and then emerged from behind the wall, standing in plain view.  
"What are you doing?!"  
The uninvited guest dropped yet another pan to the ground. Their back was turned towards Arthur, but from what he saw he was rather surprised. A round, plump figure rose before him - back still turned towards - and another pan dropped to the tiled kitchen floor in a crash.  
"You're a bit, eh, big to be sneaking around and breaking into people's houses in the middle of the day, don't you think?"  
He could see the intruder's shoulders tense up. He was going to regret those words.  
"Oh dearie me, you're still as rude as ever aren't ye, ye wee dolt" The feminine voice said in a Australian accent. "Now I know it was the right thing to accept Jay's request to take care of ye."  
Arthur was confused now. The mystery person turned and revealed her identity, displaying before him a short older woman, with a round face and a second chin that wobbled when she spoke. He hair was tied up in a bun above her head and she sported a subtle brown dress with flowers along the base.  
Arthur's eyes lit up, "Aunt Magda!!"  
A smile streaked across her adorably round face as she began to speak, "Little Arty, it has been a long time don't ye think? C'mover 'ere and give yer aunty a hug. But drop that dirty mattax first, yer givin' me a wee fright don't you know."  
The man moved across the kitchen and in the woman's direction. He embraced her in a hug the likes of which he hadn't felt since his days of youth. Aunt Magda - though no blood relation whatsoever - has been a friend of the family's for as long as he can remember. She would baby sit Arthur while his parents went out for dinner or to go Christmas or grocery shopping. She always spoiled him rotten too. She had met Jay Cromwell during her travels from Australia during wartime in Vietnam. 

"What are you doing here, Magda?" He asked.  
"Oy my travels have brought me through Maryland once more and I had heard via your grandfather - the old fuddy duddy - that you had taken over his farm for him." She began to explain, "I stopped at his house down in Virginia on my way up from Florida, and he asked me if I could stop in and see you, and then the darndest thing happened."  
"Yeah?"  
"That's right, the old fuddy duddy asked me to stick around here for a bit to help take care of you and make sure you get settled in here properly."  
Arthur swallowed hard. He was doing just fine, he didn't need any help running things here. He was eating properly... Well kinda. "It's all right Aunt Magda, really. I got it under control."  
She eyed the two cans of soup in the trash, and the other unopened five that sat atop the counter with much venom. "Oh dearie me, ye can't be serious now can you? These condensed soups are no good for ye." She swept the rest of Arthur's reserves into the trash without a second thought and then walked over to the kitchen table where two larges brown paper bags stood. She began to rummage through them, pulling out several different vegetables followed by a whole chicken that was just begging to be cooked.  
"Now you listen to me, you ijit, your aunty Magda is getting on in years and can't travel as much as she used to without feeling some exhaustion so she needs a place to rest, ya see? Ye wouldn't turn down your aunty now would ye?" This time a frown draped itself across her round face. She was very good at making people do what she wanted, and her frowns were every bit as gloomy and sad looking as her smiles were bright and cheery. They were used occasionally when she wanted young Arthur to do something as a kid, much better than empty threats.  
"Oh... Well all right. You can stay for a few days I guess. I could really go for some of your roast chicken again anyway, it's been too long." Another smile cut across her face as she started carrying things over to the counter to be prepared.  
"Oh you are every bit the fuddy duddy as your grampa; I'll be here at least until the end of Summer."  
Arthur paused. "Say wha?"

The rest of the day was filled with more yard work, which ended with Arthur planting both the turnips and potatoes in close proximity. He didn't do much tilling of that soil in which the root crops were planted in as they required packed land in order to thrive, according to his guide book. The cucumbers were planted a little bit away, in softer loose soil. These would have to be guided away from the rest of the plants as the vines of the cucumber plant were wild.  
The afternoon was filled with much reminiscing and good food, thanks to Aunt Magda. Though he was still unsure about having her around for the next four or so months, he couldn't help but feel a bit of nostalgia and security having her around. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea after all, just until he was completely settled in. 

Meanwhile, over the horizon, dark clouds began to form, signaling some surprise changes in the weather.


End file.
